


First Impressions

by lilac-vode (MollyMerula)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, No Romance, Not a ship fic, ducky and ngona meet for the first time!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24035029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyMerula/pseuds/lilac-vode
Summary: Ducky's battalion has just been assigned their general, and he's not sure what to expect.
Relationships: Original Clone Character(s) & Original Jedi Character(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21





	First Impressions

Ducky is standing so still that the beat of his own heart is rocking him back and forth, very very gently, on his feet. The only sound in the room, apart from the background whirs and hums of lights and machinery, is his own breathing – so he counts breaths, to keep himself calm, while he waits to meet his general. At a hundred and eight breaths, he hears her boots in the distance, and he straightens up even stiffer as she draws nearer to the door.

Ducky has no idea what to expect. He’s nervous – _though who wouldn’t be?_ he tells himself, but that doesn’t stop him from being a little self-conscious at the way his hands are twitching more than he’d like. Still, he keeps his back straight, heels together, eyes dead ahead, and when the general rounds the corner into the room, Ducky snaps to a salute. It’s returned immediately, casually, along with a soft smile.

In the barracks, Ducky has heard whispers of the way that certain generals look at their troops: cold, detached, like they’re looking at droids and not people. So he is relieved – and maybe a little surprised – when he meets the Jedi’s golden gaze and finds it warm and welcoming, inviting him to introduce himself as she comes to a halt in front of him. He takes a deep breath and lets the words come tumbling out.

“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, General. I’m Commander Ducky of the four-twenty-fifth. My men and I will be honored to serve you, sir.” It’s a recitation of a statement he’s practiced hundreds of times, carried out without a stutter, and he means it.

The general gives a nod of acknowledgement. “Well met, Commander.” Her voice is kind, and it puts him at ease. He worries, suddenly, that he’s being too formal, which is the opposite of the problem he would have expected. But before he can even wonder what to do next, the Jedi holds out both hands, palms upward. Ducky hesitates for a moment, then places his own hands on top, praying it’s the right thing to do. It must be, because the general closes her hands around Ducky’s, and her smile widens as she pulls them a little closer.

“My name is Ngona’ia’ua,” she begins, “and you can call me General Ngona. I’ve been looking forward to working with you and your battalion. From the training reports, it looks like we’ll be a good fit. Your problem-solving skills are impressive, Commander. I’m sure the rest of your men will prove just as reliable.” She gives Ducky’s hands a squeeze, then releases them. “Any questions?”

Ducky is not used to being complimented and asked for his opinion in the same breath, so it takes him a moment to put his words together. “I do have – just one, sir. You mentioned you were reading up on our battalion a little. Does that mean you had a choice in which battalion you were assigned?”

Ngona’s eyebrows quirk upward, just slightly. They’re a soft lilac color, the same shade as her close-cropped hair. “Yes, I did. There were several battalions up for assignment. Yours looked the most promising.”

Ducky has seen the training reports for his battalion. He knows that in addition to their successes, their shortcomings are also detailed from a rather critical angle. But if this Jedi has read everything there is to read in the reports – and still chosen his battalion out of all her options – maybe it’s not so bad as he thought.

“Anything else, Commander, before I leave for morning meditation?”

Her words snap him back into the present. “That’s all, sir. I’m honored you chose us.”

Ngona smiles, and she rests a hand on his shoulder for a moment before walking away. A few steps later, she pauses to half-turn. “Oh, and – Commander – the battalion will need a color. I leave that decision up to you.”

Ducky nods, unable to hide his smile of surprise. He wouldn't have imagined such an important decision would be his to make, but he's up for the task. For a moment, he's not sure how he'll ever decide on a color, with so many possibilities to choose from. But as he watches the general – _his_ general – turn to leave, the light from every window catches her lilac hair, and he realizes he has a very good idea of where to begin.


End file.
